Interior CS Murkomen summoned as MPs castigate IPOA over Ojwang’s murder investigations » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 18 – Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula has directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to appear before the House next Wednesday to respond to concerns raised by Members of Parliament on the controversial murder of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang’.
The Speaker’s directive came after members expressed dissatisfaction with the report tabled by the National Assembly’s National Security and Internal Administration Committee chairman, Gabriel Tongoyo, following a statement raised by Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara.
Tongoyo tabled the report with findings presented by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), and the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin.
Wetang’ula noted that while the House is mindful of the sub judice rule due to ongoing investigations, it remains obligated to address issues that touch on public interest and the constitutional conduct of the National Police Service (NPS).
“From what I have heard, and from what the chairman of the Committee read to us…, I direct that the Interior CS appears before this House on Wednesday afternoon, so that he can be interrogated by the House on matters touching on the death of Ojwang’,” ruled the Speaker.
Obara expressing dissatisfaction with the answers provided frustration with IPOA’s handling of the matter and called for deeper scrutiny into what they termed a growing culture of police impunity.
“Mr. Speaker, on the specific questions that were asked, I’m yet to be satisfied. Why was Albert transferred from Homa Bay to Nairobi? Was this legal? This has not been clearly answered,” said Obara.
“What we saw yesterday, immediately after Mr. Ojwang’s case, shows the gravity of the situation has not sunk in. The public outcry seems to have fallen on deaf ears within the police force. If it had been taken seriously, what we witnessed yesterday would not have happened,” she added.
Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji criticized the IPOA statement as inadequate, suggesting that the agency’s account appeared to conceal critical details. He urged the Tongoyo led committee to go beyond IPOA’s position and consider establishing a commission of inquiry.
“There is a need for the National Assembly to go beyond the issue of getting a statement from IPOA and actually form a commission of inquiry to know what exactly transpired one that is independent and involves everyone mentioned,” said Mukunji.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo delivered a scathing attack on IPOA, accusing it of failing its oversight mandate and compromising its independence by collaborating too closely with police in the investigation pushing for an ad-hoc committee to investigation circumstances on Ojwang’s death.
“The issue of Ojwang’ demonstrates monumental impunity and disregard for the Constitution and the law. When seen together with what happened yesterday, it signals total anarchy and the danger of us sliding into a banana republic if we are not already there,” Amollo warned.
“We have been failed by IPOA…. IPOA cannot tell us they are prosecuting people for murder when the central suspect has not written a statement to date. How do you determine who to charge if you’ve not even interviewed Eliud Lagat? IPOA has failed us and must be called to order,” he added.
Ojwang, a Migori resident , was arrested on June 7, 2025, by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) following a complaint by Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat regarding a social media post.
The social media influencer and teacher was later transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi. He was pronounced dead the following day at Mbagathi Hospital, with his body showing signs of extensive trauma.
Post-mortem results revealed that Ojwang died of blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and multiple subcutaneous bruises, discrediting earlier police claims that he died by repeatedly hitting himself against a cell wall.